This may be our first look at the next fantastic Moto X phone

We like the latest Motorola Moto X and Moto G phones, and are keen to see how Motorola will follow them up in 2016. Rumors have already started to spread regarding what will be the fourth generation of Moto X smartphone, and although it’s still only early days, it already looks exciting. Here’s what we think we know about the next Moto X.

In December a photo supposedly showing a prototype of the next-gen Moto X was published by Chinese website CNBeta, revealing Motorola may be experimenting with a full metal body for the future phone. The shape looks familiar, along with the Motorola logo in the center, and an oversized camera lens, with an integrated flash unit above it.

At the base are two sets of eight holes, presumably for a speaker system. On the left of the picture are three hardware buttons, all the same size. There are also two sections at the top and bottom of the body that may be made of a different material, ensuring the phone’s antenna functions correctly. Surprisingly, there’s no obvious fingerprint sensor on the rear of the phone, a feature which will become even more important during the coming year.

The source of the image warns this is just one of many prototypes Motorola is using for the next Moto X, and ultimately may never make it into production. We’ll have to wait and see if any more examples are leaked in the future. No specifications are hinted at by the source of the rumor, but the Chinese report says the Snapdragon 820 chip is a possibility, after Qualcomm executives revealed that next year at least 70 phones will have the new processor inside.

We’re still many months away from the fourth generation Moto X being revealed officially, but we’ll keep you updated with all the news and rumors until then.